


So You Want To Be a Jaeger Pilot

by PurpleArrowzandLeather



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Pacific Rim (Movies), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Son of Batman (2014), Under the Red Hood
Genre: F/M, I Tried, I don't know how far this'll make it, will edit characters and tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 23:45:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15351432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleArrowzandLeather/pseuds/PurpleArrowzandLeather
Summary: Bruce Wayne was the first-ever pilot. In an effort to fight back the beasts known as kaiju, he creates a monster-killing machine called a Jaeger. The beasts come from a ravine deep in the earth's crust, in an eerie pool called the Lazarus Pit.It isn't until late in the game that Bruce is told by his leading physician that he will never ride again.





	1. Verdict

**Author's Note:**

> This could be rocky, so you guys will have to let me know how it goes and if you want more.  
> As another note, I don't own DC comics or any of their affiliations. Just a happy little fic writer. :)

          Bruce stares at Dr. Thompkins. "What?"

          "I don't think I stuttered, Bruce. You heard me. If you get into a Jaeger again, you'll die."

          Bruce grits his teeth before nodding. "Okay."

          "I can give you these for the symptoms." she says, handing him a small tin. "You should be fine, so long as you don't decide to ignore me."

          "Thank you, Doctor. I'll inform Lucius soon."

          "Good. In the meantime, you may want to check up on your dual pilot tests. They're showing good results, I'm told."

          Bruce nods, hopping down from the table. "I'll head home and talk to my boys. Take them out for ice cream or something."

          "That sounds nice. Take care of yourself, Bruce."

          "I will. Thanks again, Leslie."

          Bruce picks up his suit coat and walks out of the room. The drive home seems longer than usual and he considers what he's going to tell his sons. Alfred is waiting for him when he gets there.

          "Welcome home, Master Bruce."

          "Morning, Alfred."

          "I take it your check-up went well?"

          Bruce shrugs. "It could have been better. I need to talk to everyone in the lounge."

          "Of course, sir. Master Dick has just finished work and will arrive shortly."

          "And Jason?"

          "Changing out of his bloody clothes in the dining room. Why it couldn't wait until his own bedroom, I have no idea."

          Bruce heads in that direction, finding that Jason has a stockpile of ice packs next to him on the table. 

          "Hey, Jason."

          "B." Jason mumbles, pressing an ice pack onto his ribs. 

          "How did your boxing match go?"

          He licks his lips, wincing. "Fair. Knocked out the other guy."

          Bruce nods, tilting Jason face into the light. "That's a pretty nasty shiner from a boxing match."

          Jason looks up at him and Bruce notes that he has a black eye. "Is it that bad?"

          Bruce touches gentle fingers to the bruised skin and sighs, carding his hand through Jason's sweaty hair and pulling him forward to kiss his forehead. "You'll be fine. You really ought to be more careful."

          Jason wipes his forehead with a mock-disgusted expression. " _Dad._ I'm almost 21. You've gotta stop worrying about me."

          Bruce chuckles. "I don't 'gotta' do anything, Jason. You'll always be my son, no matter how old you are." Jason bites his bottom lip and Bruce shakes his head. "Your lip is split. Stop."

          Jason smirks, lip still caught between his teeth. 

          "Stop." Bruce growls lightly, tugging on his hair. "Come on, I need to talk to you guys."

          "Lounge?"

          "Yep. I'll be there soon. Tim should be home, since calculations for the Jaeger program finished a couple hours ago and I have to round up Damian."

          "Uh, Damian is-"

          Bruce's brow raises. "Is...?"

          Jason clamps his jaw shut.

          " _Jason._ " 

          Jason grimaces and looks up at Bruce under his lashes. "He went to the Jaeger testing center."

          "He's 14. There's no way they'd let him pilot."

          "So? I tried out when I was his age."

          Bruce stops. "You did what?"

          Jason chuckles nervously. "It's not a big deal, B. He's fine. Nobody even came close to being drift-compatible with him."

          "Did you go with him?"

          "Well... no, yeah, I mean...  _somebody_ had to make sure he stayed out of trouble. And Tim was there. He was fine! Completely safe. Honest!"

          Bruce sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just go get changed. I'll talk with all of you later."

          Jason scurries off and Bruce follows him up the stairs to Damian's room. 

          He knocks. "Damian?"

          "Coming, father."

          He opens the door shortly after and Bruce smiles down at him. He has yet to have his growth spurt, and Jason has been teasing him about it relentlessly.

          "How was basketball practice after school today?"

          "Uneventful."

          Bruce shakes his head. "I'm sure, since you didn't go. A little bird told me you went to tryouts for the Jaeger program instead."

          Damian purses his lips before settling on a frown. "Tt. Todd." he huffs, crossing his arms and muttering ' _traitor_ ' under his breath.

          "Come on. We're having a family meeting."

          Damian sulks a bit on his way down the stairs and Bruce turns towards Tim's room. He knocks before turning the knob and wading inside past the piles of clothing. 

          Tim is practically a zombie in front of his computer screen as numbers fly by. 

          "Tim." Bruce says. When he gets no answer, he snaps his fingers in front of the boy's face. "Tim."

          He jumps. "Bruce! Hey, B, I mean, hi dad. Hi, Bruce."

          "Tim. I already know you let Damian try out for the Jaeger program."

          Tim decompresses. "Whew. Umm, are you mad?"

          Bruce shakes his head. "Nope." he ruffles Tim's hair. "Family meeting."

          Tim nods. "Okay. Just gotta pause this."

          He stands up from his chair, picking up his energy drink and sauntering down to the lounge. Bruce catches Jason on his way out of his room and puts up two playful fists. Jason bounces on his toes, putting his hands up and lightly tapping Bruce on the shoulder. 

          Bruce gasps, a grin on his face as he rubs his arm. "Ow, Jason! How you wound me!"

          Jason snickers and Bruce pulls him into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles into his skull. 

          "AllrightAllrightAllright! Uncle!" Jason laughs, trying to tug Bruce's arm away so that he can get out. 

          Bruce chuckles, letting him go with a little push. Jason skips down the steps just as the manor door opens. 

          "Hello, hello? Anyone home?"

          Jason greets Dick at the door with a bear hug and Dick grins, putting him back at arm's length. "Ooh, that's a pretty bruise, Jay. More than one."

          Jason chuckles. "You should see the other guy."

          "I don't know about that."

          Bruce smiles. "Family meeting in the lounge, Dick."

          "Okay, great." Dick answers, tugging his tie loose. "Just give me a chance to put my donuts in the kitchen."

          Jason snags the box. "Aw, hell no. These are coming to the lounge. If you're going to play into the cop stereotype, then we're eating these now."

          Dick laughs as Jason opens the box and snags a chocolate-covered one. "Ah, I hope you are cream-filled my lovely."

          "My lovely?" Dick asks, a wide smile on his face. "Are you going to ask it to marry you next?"

          "Only if it's cream-filled." Jason says, earning himself an admonishing look from Alfred as he talks with his mouth full.

          Alfred neatly hangs Dick's coat and they head into the lounge. Jason sits down on the couch next to Damian, who turns his nose up. "Tt. Your stink is appalling, Todd. You should take a shower."

          "Sorry 'bout that, Short Stack. Just let me get you a clothespin." Jason takes another bite of his donut, grinning and passing the box to Tim. "Not too much sugar, Timbo. Don't need you to get sick."

          Tim grabs a bear paw, slurping his energy drink to wash it down, and Jason tilts the box towards Damian. Damian pulls a knife out of the couch and cuts a glazed in half, licking the blade and putting it back where it came from. Jason rolls his eyes, getting up to answer the door as the bell rings. 

          "Don't worry, Alfie. I got it."

          Bruce picks up a chocolate donut and sits down in his arm chair. He hears Jason greet Barbara at the door and he offers her a donut. When they walk in, Barbara already has a face-full of sprinkles all over. She sits down next to Dick in the love-seat and he helps her wipe her face. She nips at his fingers in retaliation and Dick presses a chaste kiss to her frosted lips, eliciting a groan from the whole room.

          Bruce leans forward in his seat, clasping his hands in front of him. The boys finish their first round of donuts and they all stare at Bruce. Dick subtly wipes Barbara's mouth and she licks caramel icing off his fingertip.

          He looks at each of his kids with a smile, wondering how best to broach the subject. 

          "So.... I guess I'm dying."


	2. Discussion

          If it hadn't been for Dick's jaw metaphorically lying on the floor, Bruce wouldn't have thought they heard him. Bruce flashes a quick smile and Jason blinks at him. 

          Bruce sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Okay, um, not the best way to start, I see."

          Alfred clears his throat. "Perhaps a touch of understatement, Master Bruce."

          Bruce nods. "I'm sorry. That wasn't what I- Okay." Bruce takes a breath. "I'm not actually dying-"

          Jason sputters. "But you just said you were."

          "Okay, so, the Jaeger program. You all know I piloted a Jaeger by myself."

          Damian tilts his head. "I thought you still-"

          "Until now."

          "What do you mean, father?"

          "When I was at my check-up today, we did bloodwork and she brought back my tests from the last batch of samples. I have radiation poisoning."

          Jason looks mildly confused. "Sooo, you  _are_ dying?"

          "No, but if I ever piloted a Jaeger again, it would kill me."

          Dick frowns and it's quiet for a long minute before he speaks. "So, that settles it."

          Bruce looks at him as he licks the caramel off his donut. "Settles what?"

          "Isn't it obvious?"

          Bruce has every idea of what he's going to say next. "Dick, no-"

          "We become Jaeger pilots." Dick says, bulldozing right over him.

          It's quiet until Jason just nods and stands up. "Okay. Let me go get Roy."

          Bruce looks up at him, confusion crossing his face before realization dawns. "You didn't."

          "What, you didn't think I'd just leave it at a tryout, did you? Of course I figured out who I was compatible with. We're best friends."

          Dick looks a bit apologetic. "Look, Bruce, we were going to tell you, but we didn't want you to worry."

          Bruce nods quietly and glances around the room. "Tim?"

          "I'm a numbers guy."

          "But you tried out, right?"

          He takes a breath before nodding. "I'd be paired with a girl named Stephanie. We had a falling out, so I think I'll just stick to math."

          Bruce nods, looking back to Jason. "What about boxing? You have your whole career ahead of you."

          Jason shrugs. "Well, piloting ain't a full-time job. I can still box in between. Besides, it'll be good practice."

          Bruce smirks. "Yes. Practice, inside a 110 ton Jaeger where somebody else is in your head with you."

          "Exactly." 

          "And this... Roy character. Will he keep you safe?"

          "He's my best friend. He'd better or we're going to have some serious words."

          Bruce chuckles, looking at his eager sons and settling on Damian. His arms are already crossed and he knows what Bruce is going to say.

          "In a few years, you'll be old enough to pilot, Damian."

          "I don't want to wait a few years, father. I am perfectly equipped to handle myself in the field. I trained all my life to keep the kaiju in control with the League."

          "I'd imagine it was solo combat, Damian. You have to be able to work with someone." he frowns harder. "Look, I'm not trying to single you out. You're my youngest, and I worry. That's all. Besides, there are rules against minors in Jaegers and you know it. This is for your own good."

          "So I'm supposed to sit back and watch my brothers go into battle with beasts, and strangers in the cock-pit with them?"

          Dick and Jason both raise their brows, Jason opening his mouth to argue. "Just hold up for a minute, short-stack. You ate lunch with Roy and I just last week and Barbara is around so often, she may as well be our sister. There are no strangers here."

          Damian looks sullen, but he nods. "Fine."

          "Don't worry, kiddo." Jason smiles, nudging Damian gently in the ribs. "I'm sure if you ask Timbo real nice, he'll let you listen in on comms."

          Damian brightens just in the slightest and Tim smiles promisingly. Bruce huffs. 

          "You all are taking this rather well and now I have the feeling that you've been planning to be pilots for a lot longer than this."

          Dick shrugs, pecking Barbara's cheek. "I mean, come on, Bruce. Our dad is the creator of the Jaeger program and you expected us to sit back and watch? I don't think so."

          "What about your day-job?"

          "I've got more than enough vacation days and vacation pay. Trust me."

          Bruce nods quietly, leaning back in his chair. 

          Jason purses his lips. "Sooo, you're going to let us do this, right?"

          "I'm considering it." 

          There's silence in the room as Bruce mulls it over in his head. He's seen what happened to pilots in single combat who weren't as fortunate as he was to come out unscathed every time, and he doesn't  _really_ want to opportunity for that to happen to his sons. On the other hand, they seem very determined to be pilots all on their own.

          Jason snaps his fingers in front of Bruce's face. "Earth to Bruce. Hey." he smiles reassuringly in a way that only Jason has been able to. "We'll make you proud, old man. You'll see."

          "I'm already proud. I just.... don't want any of you to get hurt."

          Dick paces back and forth for a second before sitting back down next to Barbara. "Come on, B."

          Bruce can't hold on forever, despite how much he'd like to. "All right."

          Tim smirks as Dick and Jason fist-bump, leaning over the arms of their seats to reach.

          "But-" Bruce starts, gaining their attention again. "I want you all to report to training with me first thing tomorrow morning. There's no way I'm letting any of you into a Jaeger without a good long training session first."

          Bruce still doesn't think they understand the danger they're putting themselves in, but he's willing to let them have their turn. He's not ready to say goodbye to his sons quite yet. At least this will keep them a bit closer.

          Jason smiles, tugging out his phone. Bruce doesn't even have to guess who he's calling. "Hey, buddy. I've got some good news."

          There's a muffled answer from the other side and Jason laughs.

          "You've got yourself a deal, man. He's letting us pilot."

          Bruce tries to temper his amusement as Damian rolls his eyes. Barbara grabs another donut, smiling at Dick.

          "Well, I'll be working out soon. Perfect time to burn off some donuts, don't you think?" 

          Dick grins, raising an eyebrow suggestively. Barbara pushes his face away, causing him to spill off the edge of the love-seat. He squawks in a rather undignified manner and gets up to chase her around the house. She shrieks, making a run for the kitchen. Bruce stands up when he hears something crash, but giggling follows, so it can't be too awful. Jason joins him as Dick and Barbara sprint past, Barbara having picked up Dick's favorite blanket and wearing it as a cape. 

          "You'll never catch me!" she shouts, running up the stairs. 

          "Dollars to donuts I can!" Dick yells back, monkeying his way up the banister to cut her off. 

          Jason sighs, shaking his head. "Kids. Whatcha gonna do, am I right?"

          Bruce turns and wraps him up in a hug. Jason us surprised at first, but he doesn't resist. Tim wiggles his way under Bruce's left arm and Damian squirms into the middle. 

          "I love you all. Just know that. I'll always do everything I can to keep you safe. Always."

          Jason turns his face to the side, hiding a smile. "Promise?"

          "Promise."


End file.
